Morphing The French XXIII

MY latest attempt to take on the French Defence in the style of Paul Morphy, played on Thursday.

Spanton (1829) - V* Sarveshwaran (1536)

Benidorm U2000 Round Six

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3 c6

Breaking the symmetry, although 7...Nc6 also seems playable.

8.Bg5 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4!?

This advance is nearly always double-edged.

10...Bg6 11.Nh4 h6?!

Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon Black has an edge after both 11...Nbd7 and 11...Re8.

12.Nxg6 fxg6 13.Be3 g5 14.Ne2

Hoping to manoeuvre via the g3 square to f5, but Black prevents that.

White is at best equal after 14.f4 gxf4 15.Bxf4 Bxf4 16.Rxf4, according to the engines.

14...Qe7 15.Bf5 Ne4 16.Qd3 Nd7 17.Rae1 Rf6?

Blocking the retreat of the king's knight.

18.Ng3?

Failing to properly calculate 18.f3 Ng3 19.Bxg5 Nxf1 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Rxf1, when White has won a pawn.

18...Bxg3 19.fxg3 Qd6 20.Bf2 Nxf2 21.Rxf2

Position after 21.Rxf2

The bishop-pair has gone, and the position is dead-equal, according to the engines.

21...Nf8 22.Qe3 Rd8 23.c3 g6 24.Bd3 Rxf2

Black could force a draw with 24...Re6!? 25.Rxf8+ Kxf8! 26.Qxe6 Qxg3+ etc.

25.Qxf2 Rd7 26.Rf1 Kg7 27.Kg2 Nh7 28.Qf3 Qe6 29.Rf2 Rf7 30.Qxf7+ Qxf7 31.Rxf7+ Kxf7

The position is dead-equal, but care is still required

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32.Kf3 Kf6 33.Ke3 Nf8 34.a4 a5!?

The engines give 34...b6 or 34...Ne6. The text should be fine too, but gives White a little something to play with.

35.b4 axb4

White gets a definite edge after 35...b6 36.b5 cxb5 37.Bxb5, according to the engines.

36.cxb4 h5?

Black should mark time with a non-committal king or knight move.

37.gxh5 gxh5 38.Be2 Kg6

Worse is 38...h4? 39.gxh4 gxh4 40.Bg4.

39.a5 Ne6

VS offered a draw.

40.b5 cxb5 41.Bxb5 Nd8 42.Be8+?

Both 42.Bd7 and 42.Kd3 win easily, according to the engines.

42...Kh6?

42...Kf6 seems to draw as 43.Bxh5 is met by 43...Nc6 etc.

43.Bd7 Kg6 44.Bc8 Kf6

VS offered a draw in my time.

White to play and win

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45.Bxb7??

This turns a win into a loss, whereas 45.Kd3 wins, eg 45...Ke7 46.Bxb7! etc.

45...Nxb7

VS offered a draw in my time.

46.a6 Na5 47.a7 Nc4+ 48.Kd3 Nb6

The game finished:

49.Kc3 Ke6 50.Kb4 Kd6 51.Kb5 Na8 52.Ka6 Kc6 53.Ka5 Nc7 54.Kb4 Kb6 0-1

*This appears to be his full given name.